Quiet rooms are “smart drugs”
Nootropics, AKA "smart drugs," are herbs, supplements, or medications that enhance cognitive performance. But our homes can have surprisingly big impacts on our cognitive performance, too.
In a 2013 study, silence-- but not white noise, regular "background" noise, or even Mozart-- actually increased new neuron growth. The researchers thought it was possible that this happens because true quiet is so unusual, and its presence actually stimulated the brain.
And, children that grow up in homes with higher background noise-- from noisy air conditioning units, airplane traffic, or a busy highway-- have more difficulty with reading, problem-solving and memory.
Even if total silence makes you anxious, it's worth decreasing the overall "unwanted" noise burden at home so you can listen to music that's relaxing. Ways to do it:
◼️Install curtains to dampen outdoor noise
◼️Put up some of IKEA's new sound-absorbing panels to absorb indoor noise
◼️Sound-blocking window inserts!
◼️Solid wood (rather than hollow) doors
◼️Choosing appliances (vacuums, dishwashers, etc) specifically made to be quiet
◼️Or just earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones 😆